Matt Moore on KD’s free agency: “So everyone, technically, has a shot at Durant. You’re not absolutely out of the conversation if your cap is tied up. On the other hand, if your team clears a huge amount of cap space in pursuit of Durant, and they don’t get him, there’s pressure to spend that money. Teams have done better in recent years at not just using up cap space to use it up, but there is still that pressure to use the assets available to make your team as good as it can be. And down that path lies doom. Teams have long sought the B or C level talent after striking out on free agents and signing unworthy players to huge long-term contracts.”

John Wall and KD played in a flag football game together no naturally…: “Wall didn’t just spend time catching passes, though. At one point, he and Durant, a guy that Wizards fans seem to be mildly interested in having play with the team at some point in his career, squared off for a jump ball and, in the process, came extremely close to high-fiving/holding hands/grasping forearms. … The result of that play is unknown, but one would think the height differential between the two NBA players would have led to Durant hauling in the pass. However — and more importantly — it was just another small interaction between Wall and Durant that could end up having major consequences in the future.” Keep Reading…

Anthony Slater on Billy Donovan at Florida: “As a key recruiter for Rick Pitino’s reboot of Kentucky, Donovan was shoved right in the middle. Still in his mid-20’s, still navigating the waters at his first coaching job, Donovan hit the trail a novice legitimized by his school’s reputation. As a youth, Billy’s basketball desire drove him to greatness. As a young coach, his energy and passion guided him to success. But during his climb to the top at Florida, it was that early experience at Kentucky – and the recruiting knowledge and confidence that resulted from it – which helped him morph a vision into reality in Gainesville.”

Kevin Pelton of ESPN Insider on Jonas Valanciunas: “If that sounds like a lot for a player who averaged 12.0 points and 8.7 rebounds per game last season, prepare to be shocked over the next 12 months. The new salary cap will change the market for player value dramatically. As I explained in previewing 2016 free agency, teams will have to spend at least a billion dollars — that’s billion with a B — on free agents to reach the salary cap on average. In all likelihood, they’ll spend more than that.” Keep Reading…

Fran Blinebury of NBA.com on MVP: “We know Stephen Curry will run hot. We know LeBron James will boil over the edges of the pot. But there simply will not be another elite player in the league next season whose fire will burn as hot as Durant’s. Not after missing 55 games due to foot problems and surgery. Not after seeing his Thunder settle for just 45 wins. Not after sitting out the playoffs for the first time in his career. A healthy, rehabilitated K.D. is a driven, fearsome K.D., ready to re-engage as the most unstoppable offensive force in the league. On top of all that, it’s the season leading into Durant becoming the prize free agent in the summer of 2016. Not that he’s got to sell himself to anyone, but it never hurts to go onto the market as everybody’s most desired bauble. New coach Billy Donovan might bring in a few new tweaks to the attack. But nobody has to strike a match to light this fuse. Durant will be all-in from Day One to add a bookend to his 2014 MVP trophy.”

Berry Tramel: “The NBA is expected to approve for the 2015-16 season a playoff format by which teams are seeded 1-8 strictly on record, regardless of divisions. But teams still are being scheduled with divisions. Every team plays a fellow division member four times, teams in the other conference twice each and teams in its own conference but not in its division three or four times. Which means the Thunder should have an easier schedule than most of its fellow Western Conference contenders. The Northwest Division of OKC, Utah, Denver, Portland and Minnesota figures to have three rumdums — the Nuggets, Blazers and Timberwolves — plus the Thunder and Jazz. With Utah not expected to be one of the premier six teams in the West.”

Richard Johnson of the New York Post: “Friends of former NBA Commissioner David Stern are urging him to run for mayor in 2017, now that Mayor de Blasio is looking less likely to be re-elected to a second term. Stern, a lifelong Democrat who has regularly contributed to the party, will be retired for two years in February. ‘He’s pretty bored,’ said one source. ‘He’s always been interested in politics, and he’s always been interested in running for office.'” Keep Reading…

David Aldridge of NBA.com: “Durant and Westbrook can score on anyone, but they need more consistent help from their teammates to make things a little tougher on opposing defenses. To that end, the Thunder maxed out Kanter, a low-post beast who has to do much more defensively to warrant OKC’s investment in him. The Thunder’s hope is that Serge Ibaka recovers from injuries and returns to his shot-blocking, active defensive ways to supplement (cover up?) Kanter’s D. But OKC’s only task for the next 12 months is to make Durant as happy as possible. Nothing else matters. His relationship with Donovan will be among the most analyzed in modern times.”

From AL.com, trying to figure out how much Alabama is still paying Anthony Grant: “Without new employment offsetting his payments, monthly checks from Alabama would total $83,333.333. Grant’s new salary with the Thunder can’t be easily figured without knowing other sources of income that would offset the UA payments. If the difference was $16,666 a month, it would make the annual salary in Oklahoma City in the $800,000 range― the very high end of NBA assistant paychecks.” Keep Reading…